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Dec 7thReading 2: Beginners: Barack Obama’s credit card problem

A credit card is a payment card used as a system of payment. Some merchants (someone who buys and sells goods) will accept a credit card number for inside-store purchases (things you buy), but many require (need) the card itself to be shown (past tense of show), and require a signature (to write your name under a paper), too. Credit card security (protection from danger) depends on the physical security of the plastic card as well as the privacy of the credit card number. Therefore, every time a person other than the card holder has access to (can use; can have) the card or its number, security is in danger.

It seems that even the president of the United States of America could have credit card problem. Barack Obama had an embarrassing moment with his credit cards last month when having dinner with his wife in an expensive restaurant in New York city. The cashier couldn’t accept (take) his credit card. Later, the President said: “I went to a restaurant during the U.N. General Assembly, and my credit card was rejected….I guess, that’s because I don’t use it enough.” He said the cashier thought his card was being used for illegal reasons. He explained (said in a clear way) that he did not have enough cash to pay for the restaurant bill. Luckily, his wife paid using her credit card, so they could leave the restaurant.

Mr Obama was signing a new law to protect consumers. It will tighten (make more strict) the controls on credit cards and help stop identity theft. Identity theft is a growing problem all over the world. Up to 100 million Americans have been affected (the victims of identity theft) in the past year because someone stole their private information. The new law is called “BuySecure”. It wants credit cards to change from cards with magnetic strips to ones with microchips and PIN numbers. Magnetic strips are old technology. It is easy for hackers to read them. Hackers then put the information on other cards.

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Writing prompt:

Explain an embarrassing moment you had in the past. How did you solve it? What did you do to stop it from ever happening again? (complete your answer with 15 lines)